Back to school: best smartphones and tablets for students

You’re going to hate me for saying this, but summer is almost over, and that means many are preparing to go back to school. Usually that means buying and gathering what’s needed for the next semester (e.g. notebooks, pens, laptops, etc).

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With that said, we’re going to show you three of our recommended smartphones and tablets for going back to school. After all, you need some sweet gadgets to help you get through this next semester, and what could be better than Android?

Smartphones

Technology is an integral part of learning — it makes things a whole lot more efficient, and it’s even more efficient today with the increasing power in smartphones and tablets.

There are plenty of great smartphones that were released just this year that are great for going back to school, and one of those is the Sony Xperia Z.

Xperia Z

The Xperia Z is a little harder to find — it’s not available on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. In the U.S., it can only be found on T-Mobile or bought online for full price, and then you can just throw your Sprint or AT&T SIM in the device.

So, why is it a great back to school device? Sony’s Xperia Z has great battery life, which will easily get you through the day and more. It also has small overlays to make multitasking a breeze. Aside from that, it’s a really nice device, and its overall quality is superior over a lot of companies.

Galaxy Note 2

If there’s a go-to smartphone for school, it’s easily the Galaxy Note 2, thanks to the S Pen and the capabilities of S Note. There are plenty of features that’ll assist you with Math classes, English classes, and there’s even a way to put presentations together.

Other than that, the Galaxy Note 2’s large screen makes work much easier, especially when it comes to taking notes and tuning into lectures. It’s even a great smartphone for writing a term paper/essay if you have a good office app downloaded.

HTC One

The HTC One doesn’t have any specific features that makes it great for school or work like the Note 2, but it’s certainly a powerful and reliable device. However, with BoomSound and a 4.7-inch 1080p screen, you’re going to get the best quality lectures you can get on a smartphone.

Thanks to the device’s aluminium build, it will be pretty durable, meaning it should hold up well if you drop it outside or in class. As I said, this is a reliable smartphone; you can’t get much better than that.

Tablets

Tablets are a much more ideal device for school than smartphones — they’re more powerful, and the larger screen makes just about everything easier.

Tablets can be expensive, but they’re much cheaper than most smartphones (off-contract), especially when it comes to budget tablets. There are a lot of tablets out there, from budget to high end. So here are three we thought were the best for going back to school.

Galaxy Note 10.1

Galaxy Note 10.1 in the middle.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 is the brother of its smartphone counterpart, the Galaxy Note 2. It has the usual bevy of Samsung apps, including S Note, and as I mentioned before, S Note is a great tool for school and work.

Much like the Note 2, it has the S Pen, so taking notes is as easy as ever. There are a plethora of other multitasking features as well, and it’s equipped with some pretty impressive hardware, effectively making this the most expensive tablet on the list.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 retails for $449 for the 16GB model.

Nexus 7 (2013)

The Nexus 7 (2013) is easily one of the best 7-inch tablets you can get your hands on. With a Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 1080p screen, this device will get you through school no problem.

Multitasking is a breeze thanks to the 2GB of RAM and speedy processor inside this impressive piece of equipment. The 1080p screen makes video lectures as clear as can be.

The Nexus 7 (2013) doesn’t have anything school specific to it, but it can handle almost anything you throw at it. The device retails at $229 for the 16GB model.

HP Slate 7

The HP Slate 7 isn’t the highest spec’d tablet out there, but it’s certainly a great budget tablet. Performing demanding tasks might not be optimal for this little performer, but you can still get through school with the help of less demanding apps, such as office software.

If you need a break from the demands of the world, the HP Slate 7 can handle casual games just as well as any other tablet out there, though there’s definitely some stutter and lag in more demanding games.

This device retails for $169.

Wrap up

And that’s a wrap, folks. These are, at the time of this writing, some of the best devices you can get for going back to school. From budget level to high end, there’s a device here for you.

Some devices on this list have preloaded software that’ll definitely help you through school, although the same or similar apps can be downloaded from the Play Store, so you don’t necessarily need a device with preloaded software like that, making the Nexus 7 (2013) the perfect choice.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. You need something that fits your needs and is in your price range. Which one will you choose?